Episode 195 – King of the Ashes

We follow the flailing administration of Michael VII as it slowly collapses under the immense weight of events. Then we watch as the remaining Roman Generals line up one after another as each attempts to burn the Empire down in order to become King of the Ashes.

Congrats, Robin! I was recently married after years of listening to first the History of Rome and then the History of Byzantium. Back when Mike got married it was too hard to relate to – that’s what older adults do. Now hearing Robin getting ready to do the same feels a lot closer to home. Marching through life’s milestones alongside the giant of historical podcasting is great.

So, what about the Isaurians? I can’t remember if you told us what happened to them past the time of Anastasius. Are the Isaurians still around? Do we know anything about their exploits beyond the 6th century?

Anastasius seems to have broken the military might of the tribes. Presumably Roman attention prevented any revival of their warbands. Then the coming of the Arabs meant that their coastal hideouts were under threat and the interior denuded of the wealth they had once raided. I assume that for most residents of the mountains it became essential to cultivate friendly relations with those from the plains in order to survive under these conditions.

Hi Robin,
I only bought my subscription a couple months ago but I have been an avid listener since June if I recall. I was recovering from a bad injury over the span of a few months where It was similar to being under a house arrest. The podcast really became a part of my every day life. Now that I’m almost all caught up on all episodes. It saddens me to think that I will no longer have access to what appeared to be an infinite number of episodes to download.

I’m not sure if I missed anything but are you planning on resuming the regular narrative from here?

Thanks so much for supporting the show. As I said at the end of this episode: “The bad news is that we will be pausing for many months. I owe Kickstarter backers their rewards. I owe subscribers their Byzantine Stories. And I owe my fiancée my time and attention. I am getting married soon and I have a lot to do. So please forgive my absence.” So yes the narrative will continue but not until next year. There will be some end of the century episodes in the meantime. And as a subscriber you will also receive more content…